The present invention is generally in the field of infants"" and children""s clothing.
Infant clothing is often provided in one-piece outfits for ease of dressing and changing, using special infant access features such as crotch and shoulder snaps and zippers to make it easier to slip the outfit on and off and for changing diapers. Such outfits look distinctly like infants"" clothing, and by the time a child is two or three are relegated to pajama wear or simply not used so that the child can be dressed in more xe2x80x9cgrown-upxe2x80x9d looking multi-piece outfits. Multi-piece outfits comprising separate items of clothing are also generally easier to put on and take off an older child.
The present invention is a one-piece outfit especially for infants, in which adult-looking or xe2x80x9cgrown-upxe2x80x9d separates not traditionally worn by infants are combined in a single garment that maintains the grown-up, multi-garment appearance of the separates while providing discreet, customary infant access, top and/or bottom, and while providing the overall practicality of a one-piece outfit that simplifies dressing and undressing and stays intact during activity.
This outfit is especially designed for infants because one-piece outfits tend to be less practical for active older children. However, the inventive outfit may also be useful for certain handicapped and elderly individuals where the circumstances warrant a one-piece outfit. In these cases the individual can maintain a sophisticated xe2x80x9cseparatesxe2x80x9d appearance while eliminating twisting and untucking of layers and complex mixing and matching of separates which may be beyond the ability or patience of the individual or a caregiver. The customary infant access features provide easy access for bathroom needs or undergarment changing.
The seams where the separates are joined are minimized or camouflaged, and the infant access features are also minimized or hidden by blending them in color- or pattern-wise or hiding them underneath false xe2x80x9cadultxe2x80x9d closures or clothing features such as non-functional button plackets, epaulettes, and seams. Minimizing or hiding these customary infant access features is desirable especially since the separates being combined are not normally provided with such features.
The outfit may also include integrated xe2x80x9cfalsexe2x80x9d or partial garments that give the impression of full garments layered with the other garments in the outfit.
These and other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent upon reading the specification below in light of the drawings.